On This Day in 1966, a Made-for-TV Rock Band Began a 13-Week Run at No. 1 Despite Being Barred From Playing Their Own Instruments

On this day (November 12) in 1966, The Monkees topped the Billboard 200 with their self-titled debut album. The LP held the No. 1 spot for 13 consecutive weeks. In February, it was dethroned by the band’s second album, which held the top spot for 18 weeks. At the time, the band members weren’t allowed to play their own instruments. As a result, the music was performed by members of the Wrecking Crew while the group provided vocals.

The sitcom that centered on a group of young men–Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork–attempting to make a name for themselves as a rock band premiered in September 1966. They released their debut single, “Last Train to Clarksville,” a month prior. It made its way to the top of the Hot 100. Then, in October, they released their self-titled debut album.

[RELATED: What Peter Tork Believed Monkees Fans Would Regret “To Their Dying Day” About These 1967 Concerts]

While they portrayed an up-and-coming band on the TV series, the Monkees’ management didn’t allow them to function as a band in the studio. Per Britannica, the members of the band were chosen from more than 400 applicants. Only Tork, a folk singer, and Nesmith, a songwriter, had any real musical experience.

Despite the album cover crediting Dolenz as the band’s drummer and the other three members as guitarists, only Tork was allowed to play on the album. He provided guitar on “Papa Gene’s Blues” and “Sweet Young Thing,” which were written and co-written by Nesmith, respectively. None of the songs feature the entire group.

Micky Dolenz Reflects on The Monkees

Early in their career, members of the Monkees pushed to be allowed to play instruments on their records. Finally, after much arguing, they were allowed to hold their first real recording sessions in 1967, for what would be their third album, Headquarters. Six decades later, Micky Dolenz looked back on their debut album ahead of a deluxe re-release and anniversary tour.

“For all the madness of that time, there was joy in it,” the only surviving Monkee said in a press release. “We were part of something that none of us could fully understand while it was happening. The show was unlike anything else on television, and the music was reaching people in a way that was immediate and powerful,” he added. “Fans weren’t analyzing the machinery behind it. They were listening. They were singing along. And they were making the songs part of their lives. That is the greatest gift of all.”

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